Winter Tales
by VioletRose13
Summary: A small collection of short stories about Victor, Victoria, and their family in the wintertime.
1. Victor's Journal

It was a beautiful night in December; the air was crisp and cool and snow was everywhere. Dark clouds were covering the sky and snow was still coming down fast. The village was unnaturally calm and quiet; it seemed like the perfect night to stay inside where it was nice and warm. The Van Dort house on the edge of the forest was just as quiet and peaceful. Victor Van Dort and his beloved wife Victoria were sitting on the sofa side by side in front of a blazing fire burning in the heart. Their fifteen-year-old daughter, Emily, was sitting at a nearby window and gazing at the snowflakes flying by as if they were little fairies dancing in the cold wind; oh how she loved watching the snowfall.

"Watching the snow again, I see?" Victor joked.

Emily just smiled and giggled at her father's comment before continuing to watch out the window. Just then, everyone heard a young voice say,

"Look what I found."

It was Victor and Victoria's ten-year-old son, Edward. He had just come down from his bedroom and sat down on the carpet in front of the sofa with a small black leather-bound book in his hands.

"What've you got there, Edward?" Emily asked, walking away from the window and sitting down next to her brother. A little cocker spaniel named Sophie trotted up to the family and laid down next to Emily.

"I was looking for a book of scary stories when I found this on my shelf." Edward replied.

"Oh, so that's where my journal went!" Victor exclaimed as he picked up the book. "I've been looking for this for days. I must've left it in your room by mistake. Thanks, son."

"What did you write in it, father?" Emily asked, scratching Sophie's ears.

"Just some events I felt I should document." Victor replied. "So we can look back on them and laugh."

"What kinds of events did you record, dear?" Victoria asked.

"Well, let's take a look."

Victor then opened the book and gently flipped through a few of the pages until one entry caught his eye.

"Oh, here's one!" He said. "This is from the time Edward and I went sledding together."

"Oh, I remember that!" Edward cried as he took a seat on the sofa.

"Wait, you went sledding? Why don't _I_ remember that?" Emily asked.

"You were stuck at the library in town when this occurred, Emily dear." Victor replied. "You see, it started out like this. Edward was about seven at the time and it was snowing, just like tonight…"


	2. Sledding

"It's snowing!" A seven-year-old Edward cried, looking out the window excitedly. "Father, did you see the snow? Did you see?"

"Yes I did, Edward. It's beautiful." Victor replied with a smile, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"It's a perfect day for sledding!" Edward exclaimed as he ran over to the nearby closet. "I need to get ready."

"S-sledding, you say?"

"Mm-hmm. I promised myself that on the first day of snow I should immediately go sledding, and now I can!"

"Of course. But Edward, just be careful when opening the—"

Before Victor could finish, Edward had already thrust the door open and quite a few things had fallen out and landed on the floor.

"…closet door."

"Whoops…" Edward said with wide eyes and a nervous grin. "I'm sorry, father."

"It's alright, son. Let me help you with that."

Victor put his book down, stood from his armchair, and went over to the closet to help his son. While they were picking up the various hats, gloves, and scarves, a thought suddenly popped into Victor's head.

"Edward, where exactly do you want to go sledding?" He asked.

"I just wanted to go out in the meadow; it's not that far." Edward replied.

"Behind the house? Near the forest?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Ah, and who's going with you?"

"I figured you and mother would be busy with other things and Emily was at the library today so I arranged something with my friend Louie."

"Louie Quince?"

"Yes. He said his father was going to take us on the first day of snow."

"What about your other friend, Ash?"

"No. She and her family are out of town for a while, so it'll just be me and Louie."

"Oh yes, NOW I remember. Mr. Quince and I had discussed that a few days ago."

The telephone rang.

"Oh, I'll get it." Edward said the moment he heard the ring.

He ran over to the telephone, answered it, and said, "Hello."

"Hello, Edward? Is that you?" An older sounding man answered back.

"Oh! Hello, Mr. Quince." Edward said. "Is Louie there with you? Did you guys see the snow? Do you know when you're coming over to go sledding?"

"Oh, about that…" Mr. Quince said before letting out a sneeze.

"Bless you. Are you okay?"

"Oh, Edward. I'm sorry, but Louie and I aren't feeling too well."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems that we've both caught a rather bad cold so… we won't be able to go sledding with you today."

"What? But… but we made plans and everything."

"I know, Edward. And I'm sorry. Would you like to talk to Louie for a little bit?"

"Yes…"

"Alright, just give me a moment."

Edward stood on the line for a minute or two before hearing his friend's voice say with a slight sniffle, "Edward?"

"Hello, Louie." Edward replied.

"Did my dad tell you?"

"Yes, he did."

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I just don't want my cold to get any worse in this weather. And besides, I don't want _you_ to get sick either."

"It's okay, I understand."

"But don't feel _too_ bad. We can go sledding just as soon as I'm feeling better, I promise. Okay?"

"Alright. Well, I hope you and your father feel better soon."

"Thanks. Goodbye."

"Bye."

When Edward hung up the phone, Victor went over to him and asked, "What's wrong, son?"

"Louie and his father have colds and can't go sledding." Edward replied in a disappointed tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward. I wish there was something _I_ can do to help."

That was when the little boy got an idea; his face lit up as he looked at his father. "Maybe there is! Why don't _you_ come sledding with me, father?"

" _Me_?" Victor asked, slightly shocked. "Oh, um… I don't know. Although I very much appreciate it, I don't really feel like sledding today."

"Come on, father. It'll be fun. Please don't go all Grandpa Everglot on me."

Victor smirked and chuckled at that comment; both he and Edward knew that the Everglots were never the fun-loving type.

"I'm not." He said; his small smile faded. "It's just… I don't really enjoy sledding, I never have."

"Oh. Well… then you don't have to sled. You can just come with me and watch. What do you say?"

Victor looked at his son; he knew he couldn't change this boy's mind no matter what he said. But Edward did make a good point; he didn't have to ride the sled with him, especially since he didn't want to. He looked back at him and let out a small defeated sigh.

"Alright, Edward." He said. "I'll take you sledding, but I'm just going to watch."

Before he knew it, Victor and Edward were already in their winter clothes and they were going out to the meadow with a wooden sled in tow. Edward was very excited, but Victor was becoming increasingly hesitant as they trekked through the snow.

"You can still change your mind and ride the sled with me. Please, please, please?" Edward said.

"No, Edward. Just no." Victor replied, shaking his head.

"Pretty please?" The boy asked.

"Edward!" Victor said in a stern voice which caused his son to take a step away in fear. He sighed and frowned; he didn't mean to shout. "I'm sorry, son. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you."

"Why don't you want to sled, father? Is it something _I'm_ doing?"

"Oh, no! No, of course not."

"Then what's going on?"

"Well you see, son… the reason I don't want to sled, the _real_ reason, is because… because I'm afraid."

Edward was shocked.

"YOU?! AFRAID?! I didn't think grownups were afraid of _anything_!" The boy cried.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no." Victor said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "All grownups get scared just like children do… You see, long before your mother and I were married, I was practically afraid almost of _everything_."

"Well, what happened? What made you scared of sledding in the first place?" Edward asked.

"Hmm, well… it all happened when I was about your age." Victor explained. "My father took me to the park one winter because he thought it would be good for me to get some exercise during the colder months… mind you, this was my very first time sledding. I remember going down a really large hill at the park and I was going very fast, but then the sled got caught on a tree root sticking out of the ground, I fell off, flew through the air, and then I landed face-first into a large snowdrift… but the worst part of it all… was that when I landed, the sled came flying through the air right after me, it crashed into me, and it broke my left leg. I remember screaming and crying in pain for hours on end and I was bedridden for almost a week and I had to use flimsy wooden crutches to help me walk for a few months. And ever since then, I've been afraid to go sledding again."

"Wow…"

Edward stood in awe; he had no idea his father had such a bleak outlook on this sort of thing. Then he remembered something; he believed it could help the situation.

"You know, _I_ was scared the first time I went sledding." He explained. "I remembered I went to the hill with mom and Emily. I fell off and I hurt my arm a little, but Emily got me to try again and after that, I LOVED it. I still fall off the sled sometimes, but now it's not as scary… Maybe if _you_ try it again, it won't be so scary! What do you say?"

"What? Oh, um… I don't know." Victor said, still very hesitant.

"Come on, it's at least worth a shot. Please?"

"Well… maybe I _could_ give it a try. What've I got to lose?"

"Yes! Come on, let's go!"

Edward then grabbed his father's hand and led him up to the top of the nearest hill. Victor looked down the hill with a worried expression on his face, Edward still holding his hand.

"Don't worry, I'm going to help you every step of the way." Edward said.

"Um… this hill is rather steep, Edward. It doesn't look safe." Victor said with a slight shakiness in his voice.

"That's why we'll be going down _this_ side first. It's not as steep. Okay, here we go."

Edward adjusted the sled to face the other side of the hill before saying, "First you sit on the sled like this while holding onto this rope, then you push off, and then… ZOOM! You go down the hill really fast… but not _too_ fast."

"I don't want to fall off." Victor tried to argue.

"Well sometimes you _do_ fall off, but that doesn't mean you'll get hurt. Watch this. Oh no, a bump. Agh." Edward explained before humorously demonstrating how someone would typically fall off of a sled, which luckily made his father laugh. "See what I mean? _I_ didn't get hurt."

"Alright, I think I'm ready." Victor replied with a slight chuckle.

He reluctantly sat down on the sled and Edward went behind him. He put his hands on his father's back before asking, "Okay, are you sure you're ready for this, dad?"

Victor took a deep breath before reluctantly saying, "Yes, son. I'm ready, go ahead."

"Alright. Ready, set… here we go!"

Edward then gave Victor a gentle push before jumping onto the sled in front of his father; they were now going down the hill rather fast, Victor was getting more and more nervous.

"It's alright, father. If you get scared, just hold onto me." Edward said reassuringly. "Just like I hold onto you, mother, or Emily when _I_ get scared."

"Thanks." Victor said before wrapping his arms around his son. But then, Victor started to feel more comfortable on the sled. Slowly, a small smile crept onto his lips. "You know… I'm starting to _like_ this."

"I knew you would." Edward said before the sled came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.

"I didn't fall off!" Victor cried triumphantly; he felt very proud of himself at this point.

"You did great!"

"Let's go again!"

When they made it back to the top, Victor looked down the other side of the hill and said, "I want to try _this_ side next." He was feeling more and more confident in himself

"Alright, if you're absolutely sure." Edward said as he adjusted the sled again.

"Don't worry, I'm sure."

"Okay, the sled is ready."

Victor and Edward climbed aboard once again only this time, Victor pushed the sled down the hill and it was going down at a great speed. Victor was growing more and more excited as he and his son went down, but when they reached the bottom the sled hit a rock and they fell off of the sled and landed in a pile of snow; Edward fell on his back while Victor landed face first into the snow… again. Edward was worried that his father was afraid all over again and asked,

"Father? Father, can you hear me?"

Victor's head popped out from the snow; he shook snow out of his hair, spit some snow out of his mouth, and stared at his son for a few moments of silence… before bursting into hysterical laughter with a huge smile on his face. Edward was very confused and slightly concerned.

"Father? Are you alright?" He asked as he helped him to his feet.

"Am I alright? I've never felt better!" Victor exclaimed, picking up his hat and putting back on his head.

"Really?"

"Of course! Now I'm not scared of sledding anymore… and I owe that to _you_."

" _Me_?"

"Absolutely! You encouraged me to try sledding again, now I _adore_ it. Thank you so much, son. Let's go again!"

"I'm right behind you!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

The whole family of four suddenly started laughing; Sophie let out a happy little yap.

"That was a good day." Victor said with a chuckle.

"Father and I were having so much fun that we didn't get home until sunset." Edward remarked.

"Oh, _I_ remember that day!" Victoria exclaimed. "When you boys came back inside, you were both coated in snow."

"Oh yes! When I finally came home, I saw that you two had to stay by the fireplace all night." Emily giggled. "You were almost frozen to the bone."

"Yes, but I believe it was worth it." Victor remarked. "Thanks to your brother's support and encouragement, I'm no longer afraid of sledding."

Victoria kissed her husband on the cheek and smiled.

"Perhaps we can _all_ go sledding together tomorrow." She said with a giggle.

"That would be _great_!" Edward cried excitedly.

"Are there any other stories in your journal, father?" Emily asked.

"Let me see…"

Victor flipped through the pages again and found another story.

"Aha! Here's one from _last_ winter, when the four of us were all caught up in a snowball war." Victor told his daughter.


	3. The Snowball War

A year ago; the sky was a pale gray and it had snowed the night before.

"Wow!" Emily cried as she ran out the door and into the backyard; she grinned. "This is so beautiful! How I love wintertime…"

As she lamented, she suddenly felt something hit her in the back of the head and she cried out in surprise.

"Hey!" She yelled.

Emily shook the snow from her hair and looked around the yard for the culprit, only to see no one else was around. Then she could faintly hear someone giggling from behind a large tree; she smiled and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh my! What the world was that?" She asked in a rather loud voice as she knelt down to grab some snow. "Are the snowflakes getting bigger? Is the sky falling? Or is it just my imagination?"

Edward was hiding behind the tree with a few snowballs at his feet; he was trying his hardest to suppress his laughter. Then as he was about to throw another snowball, he looked out and saw that Emily was nowhere in sight.

'Where'd she go?' He thought before he felt snow hit him in the side of the head; he yelped in surprised.

"What was that?" He exclaimed as he ran out from the tree, only to see his older sister holding a snowball in one hand with a wicked smile on her face. "Emily, how could you?"

"… _You_ started it." She said before the two of them playfully glared at each other.

Edward clenched his fists. "This. Means. WAR."

The two siblings glared at one another for a minute or two of silence before running off in different directions, each of them taking a different side of the yard; Emily took the left side while Edward took the right. It was then that they each started to build a fort out of snow, throwing dozens snowballs at each other all the while. Meanwhile, Victor and Victoria were inside, sitting in their own armchairs by the lit fireplace. Sophie was curled up on the floor near the hearth, taking a nap.

"What a beautiful day." Victoria commented.

"Indeed, my dear. Nothing better to do on a day like this than sitting by a roaring fire with a cup of tea and a good book." Victor added as he took a sip from his cup.

But just as he set his teacup down on the table, a loud thump was heard and the couple jumped in their seats. Sophie shot awake and started barking at the door.

"What was that?" Victoria asked in surprise.

Before Victor could answer, two more thumps sounded. Victor looked and saw snow on the glass of the back door. He got up from his chair, walked towards the door, looked out the window and saw his two children throwing snowballs at one another. He smirked.

"Victoria? You might want to have a look at this." He said before his wife joined him by the window.

Outside, Emily and Edward were hard at work building their own respective snow forts.

"And what are you two up to?" Victor asked as he casually stepped outside.

"Ah, father!" Edward cried happily. "You and mother are just in time to enlist in my army. Join me and together, we will defeat that menace in blue!"

"He means me." Emily commented with a laugh.

"Oh my." Victoria giggled.

"This does sound like fun and your mother and I would _love_ to join you two." Victor began. "But I'm afraid we both have to decline. I suppose we've just grown out of snowball fights."

"Yes I'm sorry, but it looks like you two are on your own." Victoria added before a snowball suddenly flew over her head and into the house, nearly putting out the fire; she glanced at her daughter who quickly hid behind her fort. "And be careful with those snowballs. We don't want any injuries, now do we?"

And with that, Victor and Victoria headed back inside and closed the door behind them.

"Emily, you fool!" Edward cried. "This was over before it started! I will now consider your unconditional surren-…"

Before Edward could finish, a snowball struck him in the face and he fell onto his back.

"…der."

Emily began to laugh like a madwoman and she fell onto her back behind her fort, still laughing. Edward's eyes narrowed at his big sister.

"So _that's_ how she wants it to go down, hmm? Fine; _two_ can play at that game." He said to himself before spotting a thin bare tree next to his fort; he got an idea.

Emily was so blinded by her own laughter that she didn't even notice her little brother's next attack. When she looked up, she saw that Edward had converted the tree on his side of the yard into a catapult and he was now firing dozens of snowballs at her. She screamed and tried to shield herself from the oncoming snow, but failed miserably. She stood up, revealing to be covered in snow from top to bottom.

"Score one for the boys back home!" Edward cheered.

"Time out, I need a time out! Ceasefire! This is _not_ over." Emily muttered as she slowly headed towards the back door.

Edward laughed as he watched his sister enter the house to dry off. She shook the snow out of her hair and her scarf; she took a deep breath, unaware that she left the back door slightly open.

"Wow. I need to _stop_ underestimating that boy." She said to herself.

"Emily?" Victoria said as she and Victor walked towards their daughter.

"Are you alright?" Victor asked.

"I'm fine; just a bit frozen and caught off-guard." The girl replied. "Edward bombarded me with snow on a makeshift weapon, but I'm not finished with him yet. I'll get him, just wait and see."

"Would you like a towel, Miss Emily?" Mrs. Robinson said as she approached Emily with towels in her hands.

"Oh thank you so much, Mrs. Robinson." Emily said, grabbing the towel and drying her hair with it. Sophie trotted up to the girl and barked up at her; Emily smiled at the little cocker spaniel before kneeling down and rubbing her head.

"Aha! Aiding the enemy! That's treason, it is!" Edward cried out from outside with a snowball in his gloved hand. "I caught you _all_ red-handed! That goes for you too, Sophie!"

Sophie merely cocked her head to the side in confusion, wondering what was going on.

"I told you, Edward, I needed a time—" Emily said before she quickly ducked to avoid a snowball coming her way.

"Edward! I told you to be careful with those snowballs." Victoria gently scolded.

"Sorry, mother." The boy said embarrassedly, looking away.

"Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on him while I annihilate him and his forces." Emily said as she put her hat and scarf back on and headed out the door to continue the war.

As Victor and Victoria watched their daughter run back over to her fort without getting hit, they smiled at one another as they got an idea. Back outside, Emily was making as many snowballs as possible while Edward was still attacking.

"Oh, it's no use. I can't keep up with him." She said to herself.

"Need some help, dear?" A familiar voice asked.

Emily turned her head and saw Victor crouching down beside her; she looked and saw Victoria on Edward's side of the yard. They grinned at each other. But before they could throw anymore snowballs, a shrill voice cried out,

"What in the world is going on out here?!"

Everyone turned their heads towards the back door to see Nell, William, Maudeline, and Finis looking at them with stern and shocked looks on their faces. Mrs. Robinson was standing off to the side and nervously rubbing her hands together.

"What are the four of you doing?" Maudeline demanded. "Don't you know snowball fights are for fools and immature children?"

"Um, grandmother?" Emily hesitantly said. "No offense, but… Edward and I _are_ children."

"Then what are your parents doing?" Finis grumbled.

"…We joined in. What of it?" Victoria questioned.

"Victoria, you know better than to take part in such childish activities." Maudeline scolded, folding her arm. "You are a grown woman."

"Exactly. I _am_ a grown woman and I'm allowed to make my own choices… and I choose to participate a snowball war with my husband and children." Victoria retorted.

"Pfft, 'war'? _That's_ what you call it?" Nell commented.

"…It's fun." Edward said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Would you… like to join us?" Victor reluctantly asked.

"Join you? In this nonsense?" Maudeline huffed. "Well, I never!"

"Like your grandmother said, snowball fights are for tactless, immature children, and we will NOT stoop to your level." Finis grumbled as he furrowed his brow and frowned. "If any of you want to blast each other's brains out with snowballs, kindly leave _us_ out of it."

"Well said, Finis." Maudeline added before she and her husband went back into the house.

Nell and William looked at Victor, Victoria, and their children.

"Are they _always_ like that?" Nell asked her daughter-in-law.

Victoria merely shrugged her shoulders and said, "They've been this way for as long as I can remember. Honestly, I don't believe they were ever even children."

"That can't be." Edward commented. "They _had_ to have been children at some point."

"They really need to learn how to have fun." Emily added.

Victor then got an idea. "Yes, Emily. You are absolutely right. And I think I know just how to do it."

"Oh? What do you have in mind, son?" William asked; Victor smiled a sly smirk.

Maudeline and Finis stood in the sitting room, complaining about how childish playing in the snow really is. Sophie was hiding under the sofa.

"The nightmare." Finis ranted.

"The nerve." Maudeline added before she glanced out the glass door; she saw that Edward and Emily were shaking hands. "Wait, what's _this_?"

"What?" Finis turned his head to see the same thing. "What are they doing?"

"I haven't the vaguest idea. Let us go find out." Maudeline replied as she went back to the door. "What on earth are you two doing? You're supposed to be at war with one another."

"We signed a peace treaty, grandmother." Emily said as her brother took a piece of paper out of his pocket. "You and grandfather were right; fighting _is_ for children."

"What? No, no, no, we misled you. It's for adults as well. Give me that peace treaty!" Finis argued, taking the paper from Edward and tearing it to pieces. He folded his arms. "There, let the war continue!"

"It's working." Victor whispered to his wife; he, Victoria, William, and Nell were standing on the sidelines, watching and listening to everything.

"Grandfather, that wasn't the peace treaty." Edward said. "That was just an old poster."

"Ugh, you two are giving up too easily." Maudeline said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Quite right." Finis added. "Now Emily, pretend I am Edward."

"And who am _I_ supposed to be?" Emily asked.

"…You're you, child." Finis said before throwing a snowball at her. "Now what are you going to do?"

Emily removed the snow from her coat, looked at it for a few seconds, and gently threw it at Finis who cringed at the cold feeling.

"Emily, why did you not hit Edward?" He asked, wiping the snow away.

"Well, you said _you_ were Edward, Edward." The girl innocently replied; the young boy laughed under his breath.

Maudeline shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration; she sighed. "Alright, I know where this is going to go. Let us just say for all intents and purposes that your grandfather and I are now part in this war."

"If you are, then where's your fort?"

"We don't have one."

"You need to have a fort, grandmother."

"He's right. Forts win war."

"Oh, you want a snow fort? Fine."

Maudeline sighed before she and Finis bent down and piled up a small amount of snow in front of them. "There, there's your fort."

"That's too small." Edward said.

"Ugh. It's alright, Edward. It is just a demonstration." Finis grumbled.

"He's right, grandfather. That thing could _never_ protect either you. It's downright puny." Emily said.

"Trust me, it is perfectly fine." Maudeline complained before Emily threw some snow onto her shoulder; she brushed it off.

"See? It _is_ too small." The teenage girl said.

"Not if we crouch down." Finis said before he and his wife crouched down. "See this? Down here, we are perfectly…"

"…Exposed." Edward said after he threw a snowball at them; Emily folded her arms and gave a smug smile.

Now, Maudeline had enough; she reached down and threw a snowball at Edward and Emily. They ducked their heads before it could hit either of them. Victor, William, Victoria, and Nell gasped in shock.

"Grandmother returned fire!" Edward exclaimed.

"Then it's war!" Emily declared as she and her brother ran to their own fort.

"What?! No-no, no! Wait, wait, wait!" Finis cried out.

"No, no, wait, wait, wait, WAIT! Don't you dare!" Maudeline retorted before she and Finis were bombarded with snowballs from their grandchildren.

Victor and Victoria looked at each other before running over to Emily and Edward; Nell and William quickly followed suit. Eventually, Finis and Maudeline were completely coated in snow and they couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, FINE! You asked for it!" Finis yelled before he threw a snowball which hit Emily right in the face. "I got her. I got her! Maudeline, you NEED to try this."

Maudeline put a hand to her chin and smiled.

"He got you good, Em." Edward laughed before he was also hit in the head with snow. "TAKE COVER!"

They all hid behind their fort as more and more snowballs were thrown at them; from the looks of it Maudeline and Finis looked like they were actually having fun.

"Mother, father? I think they're taking this too seriously." Edward said nervously.

"I agree; I've NEVER seen that fire in their eyes." Emily added.

"I believe you're both right." Victoria said.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's about time to retreat." Victor said.

"You lot go, we'll take care of it from here." William said.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked.

"Don't worry; we'll be fine. Just go; save yourselves." Nell replied before her son and his family snuck away towards the house.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"That was probably the only time I've ever seen my mother and father act like children." Victoria giggled.

Edward and Emily laughed as Victor gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"When I looked to see how they were doing, their forts were practically enormous and they were all covered in snow." Victor chuckled. "And when I asked them how they were holding up… they were holding up a white flag saying 'We surrender; the Everglots have won!' I've _never_ seen my parents so worn out and frazzled."

Victoria kissed him back and affectionately nuzzled her face against his chest.

"At least that was better than… you know." She trailed off.

"Oh no…" Emily shivered.

"Not Dolores." Victor muttered, shaking his head.

"Who?" Edward asked. "What are you talking about? Who's Dolores?"

"Um… it's a long story." Victor said, opening the book to another page.


	4. Cousin Dolores

Victor and Victoria were sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a book while a four year old Emily was sitting on the floor playing with a stuffed cat; the three of them were enjoying a quiet afternoon indoors together. Victoria was about seven to eight months pregnant at the time Emily curiously looked up at her parents.

"Mummy? Daddy? Are you okay?" She asked.

Victoria looked at her daughter and said, "Of course, dear. Why do you ask?"

Before the little girl could reply, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Victor asked, standing up.

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Victoria said as she got up to answer the door

The door opened to reveal a woman with somewhat beady eyes, thin lips, and a head of dark red hair.

"Cousin!" The woman beamed.

"Dolores?" Victoria gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop by and visit my favorite cousin in her new home!" Dolores declared. She spotted Victor standing near the couch. "And is this who I think it is?"

"The better question is: Who are _you_?" Victor asked, Emily quickly hid behind her father's legs in fear.

"Oh, yes. Victor, this is my distant cousin, Dolores Everglot. She's from my father's side and she's been living in America for a few years." Victoria made the necessary introduction. "And Dolores, this is my husband, Victor, and my daughter, Emily."

"Oh my goodness, I have heard SO much about you, Victor!" She snorted. "The lovely Dolores, at your service."

Meandering over to Victor, Dolores took his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Charmed, I'm sure." Victor replied, wrenching his hand free.

"So, Vicky baby, you really did it?" Dolores asked. "I had no idea you married such a charmer! Brava, I'm impressed! Pardon me, but would you terribly mind if I stay here for a while?"

"Stay?" Emily asked quietly.

"Oh! Um, I hope you're not staying for _too_ long." Victoria declared. "We've been rather busy as of late."

"Perish the thought." Dolores shook her head. "I'm just going to stay with you a couple a' days. Y'know, take some time off, then I'll move on back home."

"Well, I suppose I can live with that." Victoria admitted. "But we don't have a spare bed prepared, so you'll have to sleep on the sofa."

"No problem." Dolores waved off the statement. "Can one of you fetch me something to wet my whistle? I'm parched."

"Alright. I'll go tell Mrs. Robinson to draw us some tea." Victoria nodded.

"Oh! It's about time for Emily's studies." Victor bent down and picked up his daughter. "Today, we'll be learning about different birds of the world."

Emily smiled excitedly at the thought; Dolores rolled her eyes in annoyance and said nothing.

"Very well." Victoria smiled. "I'll see you two very soon."

"Until then." He kissed her on the cheek and went up the stairs to the study with little Emily in tow. After Victor and Emily were out of sight, Dolores cleared his throat.

"Still waiting for that drink." She said impatiently; Victoria rolled her eyes and silently went to the kitchen.

The next couple of days were, simply put, nothing but a nightmare for Victoria. Dolores was the _worst_ houseguest in the history of all houseguests; she did nothing but lay around all day, making demands and smoking her cigarettes. Victoria and Victor were both at their wit's end. If Dolores wasn't part of Victoria's family, Victoria would have thrown her out on the first day.

On the afternoon of the second day, Victoria was grabbing her winter clothes, preparing to head out.

"And where are you going, little cousin?" Dolores asked.

"Over to the doctor's office for a checkup. Then afterwards, we're going to the park." Victoria replied.

"Mind if I tag along?" Dolores asked.

"Mind if I ask why?" Victoria asked.

"Just a mild curiosity, that's all." Dolores smirked. "I really should get to know your husband more, as well as your little girl."

"…Why?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"They are technically family. What do you say?" Dolores asked.

"…Fine." Victoria growled. "Whatever it takes to get you off of my sofa."

Victoria, Victor, Emily, and Dolores put on their winter clothes and made their way to Dr. Lester's office in town. After the checkup, they all went to the park. Victor was teaching Emily how to make a snow angel while Victoria sat on a bench nearby and watched them with a smile; she was rubbing her round belly with one hand. Dolores suddenly appeared beside her, ruining her good mood.

"They grow so fast, huh?" Dolores smirked; Victoria said nothing and turned her head away.

After a minute or two, Dolores turned to her cousin.

"I must admit, this is a pretty good scheme you've got here." She smiled.

"Scheme?" Victoria repeated. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"I mean all of this." Dolores declared. "A husband as good looking as that, a cute kid, and now ANOTHER baby on the way. I didn't think this would last, but then I heard about your engagement and now your family? Pfft. Way to bag the game… especially with that corpse incident."

Victoria froze at the mention of the Corpse Bride; how did Dolores find out?

Dolores grinned sleazily. "Tell ya what, why don't you let _me_ be your official publicist? I'll have your faces put on newspapers, posters, everything, everywhere; we'll soon be rolling in the cash!"

"I don't care about that." Victoria declared.

"Oh, of course you don't." Dolores winked.

"I love Victor and Emily." Victoria clarified. "And I did not marry Victor for money or gain or even status. I ought to backhand you right this instant for even suggesting otherwise."

"…You're not kidding, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Ugh. I see what's going on here. You were always the non-profit girl; you still are. If it were me, I'd milk that position for all it's worth."

Victoria shook her head and sighed. "Even after all these years, you're still the same old Dolores. It's only ever been about money and fame to you, hasn't it?"

"It's a pity, really."

"What do you mean, 'pity'?"

"I mean it's a pity that the son of such a successful fish merchant like Van Dort fell for _you_ , of all women. Look at you; you're a sickly, pale, walking china doll! He must be either desperate, or insane." Dolores sneered. "You even have a daughter to match, blech!"

"What?!" Victoria snarled, putting her hands on her hips. "That is my husband and child you are talking about!"

"Oh yes, your 'knight in shining armor' and your 'little angel'. Ugh!" Dolores scoffed with a smirk. "I've seen the pictures; Vic is nothing but skin and bones. He nearly left you for a _corpse_! A _corpse_ of all things! Small wonder he still wound up with _you_ , Miss 'does-nothing-but-lie around-on-her-rump-and-do-nothing-all-day'. Heh."

"How dare you!"

"I wish I could've been at the wedding." Dolores taunted her cousin. "It must've been a laugh riot. Two pale, lonely outcasts, pretending to be something they're not, together! And I'm absolutely sure that your spawn will follow your pathetic little legacy."

"Ahem." Came a sound from in front of the two women. It was Victor with his arms folded over his chest, his coat covered in snow; Emily was standing behind him with an angry look on her face.

"Oh, hey, Vic." Dolores trembled. "Now, um… this isn't what it looks like."

"Leave." Victor said quietly.

"I, uh…" Dolores mumbled.

"Didn't you hear me? I said LEAVE!" Victor roared.

Dolores stood form the bench and backed away as the family of three started to make a few snowballs. The next thing she knew, she was being pelted with snowballs. She tried to shield herself, but it was all in vain. She stepped on a patch of ice and fell onto the sidewalk leading out of the park. She awkwardly scrambled to her feet.

"So, does this mean I won't be seeing you next Christmas?" She chuckled nervously.

A much bigger snowball landed right at her feet, almost hitting her.

"Alright, fine!" Dolores yelped. "I'm going! Jeez! I don't need any o' you anyway."

She turned on her heels and made a hasty retreat. As Victor made a few heavy, hate-filled breaths, Victoria gaped at him.

"Sorry." He apologized, glancing over at her and calming down. "I might've gone a little overboard."

"No need to apologize, dear." She smiled. "I'd have done that to her myself."

"Please tell me there's nobody else like that in your family." He implored.

"Thankfully, no." She grinned. "Dolores was always the black sheep of the family. I honestly don't know where Uncle Boris and Aunt Theodora went wrong with her. They're such wonderful people once you get to know them."

"Nice to know you come from such good stock." Victor chuckled and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder. Emily quickly joined in on the embrace and smiled at her parents.

"You know, I'm glad Dolores is gone." The little girl said. "She always scared me whenever she was around; she didn't even do anything. And those things she had with her smell so bad! Eww!"

"Don't worry, darling." Victoria picked up her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Thankfully, none of us will have to see her or hear from her again for a very long time." She set Emily back down. "Now what do you say we head home and warm up? We could start a fire and Mrs. Robinson could make us some tea and cookies."

"Cookies?!" Emily squealed with joy; she clapped her hands.

"Well don't mind if I do." Victor nodded, taking a hold of Emily's hand.

The three of them went back to the carriage where Mr. Robinson was waiting for them to take them home.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Wow… I had no idea you and dad had to deal with such an awful woman, mother." Edward commented.

"That was because you weren't even born yet, dear. I was still pregnant with you at the time." Victoria told her son; he understood and nodded his head.

"Luckily, we never saw her again after that day. Right, father?" Emily asked, gently stroking Sophie's back.

"Yes, and thank goodness." Victor heaved a sigh of relief. "She was such a pain in the neck. And those cigarettes she smoked never did her any good, either."

"You can say that again." Victoria said, shuttering at the thought. "I still cannot fathom how she could even _stand_ those dreadful things."

"Neither can I." Emily added with a disgusted wince.

"Are there any other memories in your journal, father?" Edward asked.

"Certainly, son." Victor said. "Do you recall the Christmas where your sister and I almost didn't come home?"

"How could I forget that?" The boy chuckled. "I still remember it like it was just yesterday."


	5. Christmas Tradition (Edward)

One Christmas Eve, an eight-year-old Edward was looking out the window and smiling as he watched the snow come down.

" _It's snowing, it's blowing_ " He sang.

" _The sun is barely glowing_

 _Make a wish, a Christmas wish_

 _A wish that'd it keep snowing_ "

Victoria smiled as she headed out of the kitchen; she was holding four plates in her arms.

"Care to help us set the table?" Victoria asked her son; he smiled and gladly went over to help.

"When will Em and dad be home?" He asked as he grabbed two plates; he and Victoria began to set the table.

"Soon, dear. They should be home rather soon."

"Then we can have dinner."

"Just like every year on Christmas Eve."

"Mum? What do you call something you do every year at the same time?"

"Tradition. And all four of us together on Christmas Eve is _our_ tradition, right?"

"Exactly."

"Oh! Don't forget the candles!"

"Here they are." Victoria reached up and grabbed two candelabras with three places for a candle out of the nearby cabinet; Edward grabbed six candles out of a drawer.

"Mother? Why do we light candles tonight? I mean, other than tradition." Edward asked as he put the candles in their places; his mother placed the candelabras in their proper spots on the table.

"We light candles to help the sun shine brighter during the long cold days of winter." Victoria replied before the telephone rang.

"Oh! I'll get it!" Edward ran over to the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Edward?" Victor voice came from the other end.

"Dad! Where are you and Emily? Mum and I are waiting for you. Are you alright?"

"Um, Edward? …I'm afraid I have some rather bad news."

"What do you mean?"

"There's too much snow out there. I don't think we're going to make it home."

"What? But-but… it's Christmas Eve. It's tradition for all of us to be together."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I truly am. But there's just no way your sister and I can make it through all of this snow and back to the house."

"Oh…"

"Could you pass me onto your mother now?"

"…Alright."

Edward passed the receiver over to Victoria and walked over to the sofa near the fireplace; he was so upset and disappointed that he couldn't hear what his mother was saying. He started to cry when she hung up the phone. Victoria frowned and went over to the sofa to check up on her son; Sophie, who was new to the family at the time, was curled up with Edward on the sofa.

"Edward?" She asked, putting a hand on his back.

"If father and Emily aren't going to be home tonight, then it isn't Christmas. It's just not the same without them." Edward muttered.

"We can still celebrate, just the two of us."

The little boy said nothing and shied away from Victoria; she let out a soft sigh and wiped a small tear from her cheek before slowly walking over to the table.

"Why don't you come and light the candles? I'll help you." She offered, trying to lift his spirits.

Thinking it might make him feel better, Edward wiped his eyes and went over to the table. After lighting the candles, he and his mother sat in somewhat awkward silence. Their dinner was in front of them, but it's hardly been touched.

"Mother? I'm not hungry." Edward said after a few minutes; he pushed his plate away.

"You know what? Neither am I." Victoria said as she did the same. "None of this food tastes as good without your father and sister here with us."

" _Now_ you see what I mean?"

"…I do. You're right, Edward; this doesn't feel like Christmas at all."

"Do you want to go outside and look at the snow?"

"Alright. Let's blow out the candles first."

After blowing out the candles and putting on their jackets, gloves, and hats, Victoria and Edward went out to watch the snow fall.

"The snow is really coming down, isn't it?" Edward asked.

"Indeed." Victoria replied before she spotted something in the distance. "Wait, what is that?"

"What's what?"

"Look, over there. See it?"

Edward narrowed his eyes in the direction his mother was pointing, but he could hardly see anything at all. Then he noticed a dark figure approaching and it was getting closer and closer; he gasped when he realized it was a sleigh pulled by two white horses and riding inside it… was Victor and Emily. He gasped.

"Mother! It's father and Emily! They're here, they're coming!" He cried out with a smile.

Victoria gasped before the sleigh came into view and stopped right at the steps of the house. There, sitting in the front, was Victor and Emily with excited grins on their faces as they climbed out. Edward and Victoria smiled as the small family went to embrace one another.

"You're here!" Edward exclaimed, hugging his sister.

"Of course. We wouldn't miss for the world." Emily beamed.

"But I don't understand. How in the world did you two…?" Victoria asked, staring at the sleigh and horses in shock.

"Oh, this?" Victor asked, looking back at the sleigh. "Well, Emily and I borrowed the sleigh and the horses from a friend. After I hung up the phone, I knew Edward _and_ Emily were right. We all must all be together for Christmas. It's a tradition." He knelt down and hugged his son tight.

"Oh?" Victoria questioned, looking at her daughter curiously.

" _I_ told him it was tradition, too." Emily replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, now that we're all together, what do you say we celebrate Christmas together?" Victoria asked with a smile.

Everyone agreed and happily went back into the house.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"What? That was how _I_ remembered that day." Edward said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Me too." Victoria added, nodding her head in agreement.

"Well, how about from _our_ point of view?" Victor asked, referring to himself and his daughter.

"Yes. You didn't even know where that sleigh even came from." Emily said.

"Well, what happened on _your_ end that day?" The boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm glad you asked, son." Victor said with a sly smile.


	6. Christmas Tradition (Victor)

The Everglot mansion was packed with all kinds of people, mainly with people of whom Maudeline and Finis had long since had an influence over, Nell and William included. Victor and Emily had been talked into coming to a party had there, but they only agreed to stay for no more than an hour since it was Christmas Eve and they wanted to be home as soon as possible. A thirteen-year-old Emily was sitting at the window watching the snowfall.

" _It's snowing, it's blowing_ " She sang.

" _The sun is barely glowing_

 _Make a wish, a Christmas wish_

 _A wish that'd it keep snowing_ "

The butler, Emil, couldn't help but sniff haughtily at her; Maudeline looked at her granddaughter in the same manner before turning to her son-in-law.

"I don't see why your child is so enthralled by snow." She said to Victor. "It is just frozen rain."

Before Victor could say anything, Emily turned her head and said, "Snow brings a sort of magic to wintertime, grandmother. It's beautiful to watch."

Victor smiled proudly at Emily as she got up from the stool she was sitting on and went over to him.

"Father, when are we heading home?" She asked.

"Soon, dear. We should be leaving very soon." Victor replied before Finis cleared his throat.

"You may want to rethink that." He said.

"He may be right, son." William added, looking out the window. "The snow is really coming down and it doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon."

"Oh dear…" Victor said, glancing away for a moment.

"But… but does that mean we won't be able to go home?" Emily asked worriedly.

"It seems like it, child." Maudeline replied as she walked away.

"Feel free to use the phone if you need to." Finis said to Victor.

"Thank you." Victor said before he went over to the telephone in another corner of the room.

"But… it's Christmas." Emily whispered, going back over to the window; she frowned and closed her eyes.

After Victor had made the call, he hung up the telephone and glanced over at the window to see Emily sitting there again; she looked like she was about to cry. With a small frown, he went over to her.

"I'm sorry, Emily. I really am. I wish there was something I could do." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not Christmas without mother and Edward. They're probably worried sick about us by now." Emily said sadly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Your brother sounded very disappointed when I told him. He's probably just as sad as you."

"And I don't want Edward or mother to be sad either… but there's nothing we can do."

Victor said nothing and reluctantly left Emily alone. However, after a long moment of silence, she saw something move outside. She narrowed her eyes and pressed her face against the glass, trying to see what was out there. And finally, she saw it; it was a person and they were out in the snow approaching the manor. She gasped in shock and went over to the door; there was a knock and she immediately opened it to see a tall round man with a white beard and dark red cloak standing before her.

"Hello, young lady." The man said in a deep voice. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I've been out in this horrid weather for a long time. May I come in?"

"Oh yes, of course. Come in." Emily said, ushering the stranger inside and shutting the door. She soon led him over to the lit fireplace. "Here, this should help."

"Thank you very much, miss." The man said.

"You're welcome. Would you like some hot tea?"

"Yes, thank you. That would be lovely."

"Emily Van Dort, what do you think you are doing?" Maudeline scolded as she went over to the girl. "We do not allow commoners in."

"He needs help, grandmother." Emily replied.

"I'm very sorry if I am intruding. I could leave."

"No, you need to stay right here and warm up. I'll go get you some tea, I'll be right back." Emily insisted before running to the kitchen.

"What's going on over here?" Victor asked, walking over to the fireplace.

"Your daughter has allowed this man in our home. The nerve." Maudeline huffed before walking away.

The man turned to Victor and said, "Your daughter is very kind, sir."

"Yes, Emily has always been such a kind soul." Victor said proudly. "Sir if I may ask, who are you?"

"No one important. But you can call me Mister C."

"Very well, Mister C. My name is Victor Van Dort."

"A pleasure."

The two shook hands before Emily returned with a cup of tea.

"Here you are." She said, offering it to Mister C.

"Thank you, Emily dear." He said before taking a sip. "Is this your home?"

"No." Victor said. "Emily and I are just here for a party."

"But the snow won't stop and we can't go home." Emily said sadly.

"Oh, I see the problem. But don't you two worry; I already have a solution."

"You do?"

"Yes, follow me."

Victor and Emily looked at each other in confusion before putting on their winter clothes and following Mister C to the front door. He opened the door and standing near the front steps was a beautiful sleigh pulled by two white horses. Emily and Victor gasped in shock.

"In return for your kindness, you may feel free to borrow my sleigh to take you home." Mister C said, petting the muzzle of one of his horses.

"What? Oh, no. No, no, no, no." Victor stuttered. "We couldn't possibly accept this."

"No, no, no; I insist. Nothing is more important than being with family at Christmas. It's a tradition, is it not?" Mister C said, gesturing them to climb inside. "Besides, it's the least I can do."

Victor and Emily looked at each other, then back at the sleigh. They smiled before they climbed into the sleigh; Victor took the reins in is gloved hands.

"Thank you so very much, Mister C." He said.

"Yes. How can we ever repay you?" Emily asked.

"There's no need, my child." Mister C said humbly. "I'm always happy to help. Now I think it's about time you two head home. Victoria and Edward must be worried sick about you by now."

"Wait, how did you know—?"

However, before Victor could have a second thought or Emily could finish her sentence, the sleigh suddenly took off, leaving Mister C by himself with a big smile on his face. He winked as he stroked his white beard.

"It's good to be helping." He said to himself.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"So _that's_ how you got the sleigh? Some strange man let you use it?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Emily answered, nodding her head. "And the oddest part was that when we turned around before we went inside, the sleigh and horses were already gone."

"How peculiar…" Victoria pondered.

"Yes, we never did figure out who Mister C really was, nor did we ever see him again." Victor said, scratching his chin.

"Well, at least it wasn't as strange as… those nightmares I had." Emily said.

"What nightmares?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh, I had them when I was about five or six years old. You were still a baby at the time, Edward." His sister replied. "And I still remember the night they stopped, that encounter I had…"

"What encounter?" Victoria asked.

Emily looked up at her mother. "It started out like this…"


	7. Emily's Nightmares

Emily was in the study with her father; Victor was at his desk while she was in one of the armchairs near the fireplace. She was about six years old at the time and, even though she was never a very noisy child, she was awfully quiet today. Victor hadn't heard so much as a peep from her for a while now.

"Is everything alright, dear?" He asked.

When he didn't hear a reply, he looked at her more closely. Her head was bent over her illustrated book of fables and fairy tales and her chin was resting on her chest. She was asleep. Victor set his pen down, got up from his desk, and went over to Emily's chair to crouch down beside her. He gently shook her shoulder, which woke her almost instantly.

"Good afternoon." He said amusingly; he carefully took the book off of Emily's lap and set it on the side table. "Did you not sleep well last night?"

"I had nightmares." Emily replied with a yawn; she was rather blurry.

"About what?"

"…I don't want to talk about it."

"It helps to talk about them."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Well… it's awful. It's so dark and there were butterflies, LOTS of them. They swarmed me, I couldn't escape."

"Hmmm, how curious."

She yawned and leaned on the arm rest of the chair, desperately trying to stay awake. Victor felt sorry for her.

That night, there was a thudding sound coming from the nursery. Victoria rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and squinted at the clock on the nightstand. It was just after one in the morning. With a sigh, she got up out of bed before looking back at Victor. He was sound asleep. As carefully as she could, Victoria managed to find the small lamp she kept for occasions such as this. She paused and listened; there it was again, a muffled thud. She went over to the door which joined her room to the nursery and opened it as quietly as possible. She peeked inside and a movement by the window caught her eye.

It was Emily, who turned her head and gasped when she heard her mother come in.

"Emily, what in the world are you doing by the window?" Victoria asked in a whisper.

"There was something outside. I was trying to keep the windows locked so it wouldn't get in." Emily replied.

Victoria walked over to the window and peered into the night. With the light of the moon, she saw the old oak tree close to the house. An abrupt movement caught her eye.

"Emily, it's just a raven." She whispered, setting the lamp down and picking up her daughter to hold her up to see. "Look, on that branch in the oak. That's all."

As they looked, Victoria noticed that Emily was trembling.

"They want to get in." Emily whispered in fright.

"You just had a nightmare." Victoria said, gently stroking her daughter's hair and kissing her cheek. She carried her back to her bed on the far side of the room. "Nothing is trying to get in."

Victoria smoothed the sheets and tucked them in securely. By the lamp's soft light, she could tell that Emily was still nervous and shaken up, staring over Victoria's shoulder at the window. The room was quiet; baby Edward's soft breathing was the only noise.

"I'll pull the drapes." Victoria whispered; Emily nodded.

"And please, mummy." She said in a frightened voice, which tugged at Victoria's heart. "Please make sure the window is locked."

Victoria did as she asked. The window was indeed locked tight; she then peered into the darkness before pulling the drapes closed, looking for any form of danger. But there was only the tree… and the raven. Nothing more.

In the morning, Emily sat in near the fireplace with her parents and baby brother. The poor girl looked like she hadn't slept in days. How long had these nightmares been going on, without Emily mentioning them even once? Victor, who was sitting beside her, felt guilty for not noticing anything wrong sooner. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close; she cuddled up next to him.

Victoria laid a quilt over Emily and handed her a stuffed bear, which Emily held close. Edward was sitting on the floor and looked up at his sister curiously, wondering what the matter was. Victor looked at his son and gave a tiny shrug before turning to his wife.

"I wish we knew what we could do." Victoria whispered. "The poor dear…"

"Yes, if only we knew what was wrong." He replied, looking down at Emily. She had just fallen asleep, clutching the bear tightly.

Victor was checking the windows and doors to make sure they were all locked so that nothing could get in, just like he'd been doing the past couple of nights. When he made it to the parlor, he noticed a small shape on the sofa and went over to it to investigate. Emily was asleep there, cured into a little ball beneath a knitted throw blanket. Victor gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.

"What are you doing down here?" He questioned.

"I can't sleep upstairs." She replied, rubbing her sleep-ridden eyes.

"Why not?"

Emily remained quiet and pulled the blanket loser around her. Victor sighed.

"Nightmares again?" He gently asked.

Emily nodded. "I keep having them. I see butterflies as usual, but now there are enormous birds and I feel someone chasing me. And I run and run, but I can't get away."

The being chased nightmare; Victor knew that all too well since he'd been plagued by them in his own childhood. Except in his case, it was a wolf in the woods. He sat down on the sofa next to her.

"And then I wake up." She went on. "And the feeling doesn't go away. It _never_ goes away."

"Nightmares are tricky." Victor told her, putting a gentle hand on her back. "Sometimes, you simply think you wake up. And the dream just stays with you for a while."

"But it feels so real." Emily said; Victor patted her back.

"You just need to remember that they aren't." He said. "Soon enough, you'll convince yourself. And remember, your mother and I are right here. We would _never_ let anything bad happen to you."

"Never?"

"Never."

Emily swallowed, then nodded her head. But she still looked uncertain. Victor ran a hand through his hair. Poor Emily; he had no idea what to do to help her. While he knew this stage would pass with time, it was so very difficult to watch his only daughter be too frightened to even sleep at night.

Exhausted, afraid, and desperate, Emily snuck out of the nursery the next night as well. She quietly sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

'This needs to stop.' She thought, quietly climbing out of bed.

She waited until her brother was sound asleep, then took her pillow and quilt and tiptoed over to the door. Being as quiet as a mouse, she slipped past the closed door to her parents' bedroom. Light shone from beneath, so Emily crossed to the far wall as she went by, afraid of casting a shadow that her mother could see. She was told not to sleep in the parlor again and to go to her mother if she had another nightmare.

But what could Victoria do? She would just say everything is fine and put Emily back to bed, where Emily couldn't sleep. She couldn't stand another night of ravens and butterflies and the feeling of being watched. She felt much safer in the parlor.

She crept down the front stairs, keeping away from the middle so she didn't make the steps creak. It was dark downstairs; she peered down the hall and noticed the door to the study was open. Her father was still up.

As she snuggled onto the sofa with her pillow and quilt, she finally felt safe. Her father was awake and right down the hall and the front door was in easy reach. Emily now felt she could really relax; nestling into her pillow, she closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. She just started to drift off when an abrupt sound startled her awake.

"Oh dear, this can't be right." Came a voice she didn't recognize.

Slowly, Emily rolled her and dared to take a look. A tall figure was standing near the sofa; it looked like a woman, a woman Emily had never seen before. Beads of cold sweat dripped down her face, her skin rose in goosebumps, and she swallowed a shriek. The woman heard her and gasped herself.

"Oh, do forgive me, dear." She said in a calm voice. "I didn't mean to frighten you, I'm terribly sorry. I was supposed to appear _outside_ your home, not _inside_."

She took a seat on the other end of the sofa near the little girl's feet. Emily drew them up out of her way. She was trembling, clutching the blanket with all her might. She should scream; she should scream for Victor. But she was frozen in shock and terror. This woman appeared to be wearing a white dress and a veil draping down her back. Her hair was a deep blue with her skin a lighter shade of blue, she had full pink lips, and her left arm and right leg appeared to be nothing but bone.

The dead silence stretched on for a good minute or two, making Emily begin to doubt her senses. Maybe she was dreaming, maybe this was another nightmare. She squeezed her eyes shut and repeated to herself, 'She's not real, she's not real. Nightmares aren't real. Not real.'

Emily opened her eyes again, the woman was still there. This situation felt as real as anything else. The fireplace suddenly lit with green flames, which caused Emily to jolt.

"Sorry about that. I just thought we could do with a little light." The woman said before looking around. "What a lovely home you have. Must be a happy home, hmm?"

The girl nodded.

"That's good to hear. And your mother? Is she well?"

Again, Emily nodded.

"Good, good. You look just like her, you know. And your little brother? The birds told me you have a brother. You have a nice little family?"

Emily blinked.

"I've been thinking about your father a lot lately." The woman told her. "Elder Gutknecht caught on, and I suppose he and his ravens decided to do something about it. Ravens are very intelligent birds. And the butterflies, too. They're just so delicate and fragile; such beautiful creatures."

"You knew my father?" Emily asked in a whisper.

"Yes, under… unusual circumstances. And I've often wondered how he was after our little adventure. I should've known my own curiosity would eventually get the better of me at one point. Especially after the birds began their little visits. Then I decided a quick trip couldn't hurt. I'm glad I came, just to see everything is working out for the best."

By now, Emily wasn't afraid of the strange woman anymore. There was a certain kind and gentle air about her, not scary at all. Maybe she was finally able to steer herself and her dream in a nicer direction, just like her father said. She turned nightmarish shadows into smart, curious, and lovely creatures and she turned a monster into a friend… perhaps even a guardian angel of sorts. She smiled, feeling proud of herself.

"I'm afraid I must be going." The woman stood up. "And don't worry, dear; I promise I won't bother you again. And neither will the birds or Elder Gutknecht, I'll make sure of that. Enjoy a long, happy life, Emily Van Dort. The same goes for your parents and brother. Take care of yourself." She gave the little girl a kiss on the forehead before turning to face the window; she closed her eyes and smiled. "Hopscotch."

Before Emily could wonder about that last word, the woman had suddenly turned into a swarm of blue and white butterflies that flew out the now open window. And when the butterflies disappeared, she was gone, along with the green flames in the fireplace. The window closed again.

Emily was alone again; she laid down and pulled the blanket up to her chin, nestling back in. She stared into the darkness as her eyes flutters open and closed; the only light was coming from the study down the hall. She could still hardly believe what she had just seen; was she awake or was it all a dream? She was so sleepy, she couldn't tell.

The next thing she knew, Emily was in her father's arms, being carried back up the stairs to the nursery. She remembered her dream, the green fire, the butterflies… the woman. Being wished a good, happy life.

"Father? Have you ever met any other women?" Emily whispered as Victor placed her back into bed in the nursery. He paused at her question.

"What?" He whispered back.

"A woman with blue skin, in a white dress; in my dream." She replied. "She said she knew you. She's glad you're happy."

"Oh? …How kind." Victor said. "Would you like me to sing you your lullaby?"

She slowly nodded her head. Victor smiled and began to sing.

" _Nothing's gonna harm you_ " He began.

" _Not while I'm around_

 _Nothing's gonna harm you_

 _My dear, not while I'm around_

 _Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays_

 _I'll send them howling, I don't care, I've got ways_ "

Emily smiled before she started to sing along; Victor stroked her hair.

" _No one's gonna hurt you_ " They sang.

" _No one's gonna dare_

 _Others can desert you_

 _Not to worry, whistle I'll be there_

 _Demons will charm you with a smile for a while_

 _But in time_

 _Nothing can harm you, not while I'm around_ "

And with that, Emily shut her eyes and drifted to sleep. She felt Victor kiss her forehead, and she was already sound asleep by the time he left the room.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Edward stared at his sister with wide eyes.

"Wow… I can't believe you still remember that." He said, sounding astonished.

"Actually, by the next morning I believe I've already forgotten most of that dream and the conversation with father." Emily replied. "But the lullaby, I remembered."

"Yes and from then on, you were never troubled by nightmares again." Victor said with a smile; Emily smiled back as she sat on his other side on the sofa. Edward sat on Victoria's other side and snuggled up next to her.

"I still can't tell if it was real or not. I was so tied and it seemed so vivid, I just don't know…" Emily trailed off as Victor wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Well… it was very kind of that woman to wish all of us a happy life." Victoria said.

"Yes, very." Victor added, nodding his head.

"…Did you know that woman, father?" Emily asked.

"Did you?" Edward added.

Both children looked at their father with raised eyebrows, hoping for a logical answer from him. Victor looked at Victoria before chuckling.

"I'm afraid that is a story for another day." He said, looking up at the clock sitting on the mantelpiece; he closed his journal. "It's just about time for bed, you two… But before we do go up to bed, what do you say we go outside? Just for a moment."

Emily and Edward looked at each other in confusion before shrugging their shoulders and nodding. They all got up from the sofa and went out to the back door with Sophie following close behind. The clouds parted to reveal the full moon up in the sky. Sophie affectionately rubbed her head against Emily's leg, joining the group.

"Wow…" Edward gasped.

"So beautiful." Emily cooed.

"Indeed…" Victoria said, nuzzling up against her husband.

Victor remained silent when he noticed a slight movement in the big oak tree beside the house; it was a raven. He smirked and nodded at it before it flew off into the dark forest. Emily glanced to her right to see a butterfly fluttering nearby; she smiled before it flew away. Victor and Victoria shared a smile before looking back up at the moon; they shared a kiss. Emily and Edward glanced at each other and shared a smile; they had the best parents in the world and they all knew that the four of them would always be happy, just as long as they were together.


End file.
